Zips Travel to Kent State for Final Game of Season

Zips Travel to Kent State for Final Game of Season
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Akron Zips [14-36, 8-32 MAC] at Kent State [27-24, 20-16 MAC]
Tuesday, May 25| Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium | Kent, Ohio

Akron travels to Kent, Ohio for the final game of the season against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium on Tuesday, May 25. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. Fans can follow the action live on GFTV or via live stats on GoZips.com.

GAME COVERAGE
Watch GFTV - https://bit.ly/3oHzDzW
Live Stats - https://bit.ly/3h3u7WB

WHAT'S AHEAD
Akron travels to Kent, Ohio for the final non-conference game of the season against Kent State at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium on Tuesday, May 25 at 5 p.m. Fans can follow the action on GFTV or via live stats on GoZips.com. Links are also available on the baseball schedule page.

Kent State won the Mid-American Conference series 3-1 as Akron posted a 2-1 win in game two of the series as the Zips received another stellar performance by junior starting pitcher Conor Steinbaugh (Georgetown, Ill.). Steinbaugh earned the complete win, while limiting the Golden Flashes to five hits and one run in seven innings of work. He recorded five strikeouts and relinquished his first base on balls of the season.

Junior Bryant Shellenbarger (Mount Vernon, Ohio) led the Zips offense with a 2-for-3 effort with an RBI. Senior Connor Regan (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) added a solo homerun for and RBI and run scored, while freshman Kaito Hara (Houston, Texas) registered the Zips fourth hit and scored Akron's first run in the fourth inning. In the sixth inning, Regan blasted the tenth pitch of the inning over the left field wall, scoring what proved to be the game-winner.

Under the guidance of second-year head coach Chris Sabo, the Zips own a 14-36 overall record and 8-32 league mark. The Zips claimed their first MAC series win of the season against Ohio (3-1) by scores of 4-2, 3-1 and 9-8. Akron fell 4-0 to the Bobcats in game three. The Zips received three complete games from the pitching staff that weekend and used three pitchers in the series finale.

The Zips also posted a pair of wins against Eastern Michigan for a series split and secured one game from Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Kent State while dropping four games to Western Michigan, Ball State, Toledo, Central Michigan and Miami.

The Zips are hitting .246 as a team through 50 games led by Cameron Tilly (.304 AVG). Tilly scattered 45 hits in 148 at-bats with 21 RBI and a team-high 27 runs scored on 33 singles, eight doubles and four homeruns. Bryant Shellenbarger (.279 AVG) follows with a 41-for-147 effort including five doubles, a homerun for 13 RBI and 17 runs scored. Bradley Goulet (.268 AVG), and Jerry Reinhart (.234 AVG), Justin Barr (.232 AVG) and Connor Regan (.224 AVG) round out the Zips' top hitters. Reinhart and Zac Granger are tied with Tilly for most doubles with eight, while Regan's four bombs match Tilly for team top honors. Regan leads the team with 25 RBI.

On the mound, Taed Heydinger (5.16 ERA), Anthony Fett (5.17 ERA), Conor Steinbaugh (2.89 ERA) and Jackson Miller have collected the most innings pitched at 59.1, 47.0, 37.1 and 31.2, respectively. Heydinger is 2-7 in 12 appearances and 11 starts. Heydinger limits opponents to hitting .280 with a team-best 45 strikeouts, while Steinbaugh collected 39 strikeouts and relinquished only one walk in seven appearances/starts on the season. Fett claimed MAC Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday, May 17 for his complete game win performance against Ohio. The Zips had five complete game performances and three in one weekend series as Heydiner went the distance twice followed by Steinbaugh, Fett and Jacob Clark.

Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State enters Akron's season finale with one #MACtion series left to play against Eastern Michigan and own a 27-24 overall record and 20-16 in MAC play. The Flashes are 5-3 since playing the Zips, splitting a series with Ball State and taking a 3-1 series advantage against Western Michigan.

The Flashes have five players hitting over .300 for the season with at least 100 at-bats. Cam Touchette (.376 AVG) leads the way with 64 hits in 170 at-bats, distributing 12 doubles, one triple and one homerun for 28 RBI and 35 runs scored. Collin Mathews (.353 AVG) is 61-of-173 with a team-best 13 doubles, six homeruns, one triple, a team-high 42 RBI and 36 runs scored, while Justin Miknis (.348 AVG) is 54-of-155 with 12 doubles, two triples and four homeruns with 36 RBI and 36 runs scored. Ben Carew (.310 AVG) and Michael McNamara (.306 AVG) round out the .300 hitters with 58-for-187 and 37-for-144 performances, respectively. Carew owns team-highs in runs scored (46) and homeruns (7), while both, Carew and McNamara, scattered 11 doubles around the yard.

On the mound, Luke Albright (3.01 ERA) owns a 6-4 record in 14 starting appearances with two complete games. In 77.2 innings pitched he has allowed 59 hits and 32 runs (26 earned runs) while dishing out a team-high 99 strikeouts and 36 walks. Collin Romel (5.46 ERA) follows with 64.1 innings pitched and a 3-7 record on 11-of-14 starting appearances. He has allowed 74 hits and 51 runs scored with 53 strikeouts and 27 walks. Jack Zimmerman owns the team-high in appearances with 18 and has a 3-2 record. In 31.0 innings pitched, he allowed 25 hits and 14 runs with 38 K's and 19 BB's.

ZIPS QUICK HITS

Fett named MAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday, May 17
The Zips had three complete game showings against the Bobcats
Meyer earned game four win against Ohio, 9-8
Jacob Clark threw a complete 7-inning game against Ohio, L 4-0
Heydinger earned a 7-inning complete game win against Ohio, 3-1
Fett earned a complete 9-inning game win in Ohio series opener, 4-2
Akron wins first MAC series since 2015, Defeating Ohio 3-1
Steinbaugh relinquishes first walk of the season 28 K's in MAC play and 39 K's for the season
Zips posted another MAC win defeating Kent State 2-1
Zips snapped a 25-game winless streak, Defeating NIU 7-4 on the road.
Bryant Shellenbarger leads the offense with 21 hits and a .328 BA
Tate Wargo went 3-of-3 against Ball State with BB and HBP
Zips are looking to snap a 22-game setback streak
SP Conor Steinbaugh has 33 K's with 0 BB and 2 HBP
Zips swept the MAC doubleheader against EMU, marking the first two league wins for head coach Chris Sabo and the first MAC win since 2015 for the program.
Barr went 8-17 against EMU with 3 RBI a homerun and a double, including a 4-for-6 performance in the extra-inning setback.
Akron has 11 student-athletes on its roster from the state of Ohio.
Head coach Chris Sabo played third base for the Cincinnati Reds [1988-93, 1996-97].

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Akron opened its 118th season in 2021 after a four-year hiatus and a shortened 12-game season. With the resurrection of baseball for the 2020 season on the University of Akron campus came the renovation of its home field.

A part of the Lee R. Jackson Athletics Complex, Skeeles Field underwent major renovation in the Fall of 2019. Thanks to the generous gift from Bill '77 and Mary Skeeles, the new playing surface is 110,00 square feet of playing area covered with Sprinturf Ultra-blade, including the pitching mound, batter's box, and bullpens. A complete re-grading of the infield surface took place first before a drainage system was added. A 25-foot Daktronics inning-by-inning scoreboard will be installed in March 2020. Future additions include bleacher seating and a pressbox.

MAC PREDICTIONS
Central Michigan was selected to win the 2021 Mid-American Conference title in a preseason poll conducted by the league's 11 head coaches.

The Chippewas won both the MAC regular-season and tournament championships in 2019, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.

It was Jordan Bischel's first season in charge of the program, and he was named the MAC Coach of the Year after leading his club to a program-record-tying 47 victories. CMU's .770 win percentage (47-14) was the fifth best in the nation and the Chippewas improved their win total by 18 games over the previous season.

The MAC baseball season begins on Friday, February 19, while conference play starts up Friday, March 19. For more information visit getsomemaction.com or follow the MAC on Twitter at @MACSports.

2021 Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Michigan (4 first place votes) – 111 points
2. Kent State (5) – 110 points
T3. Miami (1) – 96 points
T3. Ball State – 96 points
5. Northern Illinois (1) – 72 points
6. Western Michigan – 63 points
7. Ohio – 56 points
8. Toledo – 45 points
9. Eastern Michigan – 36 points
10. Bowling Green – 28 points
11. Akron – 13 points

Zips Travel to Kent State for Final Game of Season

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Players Mentioned

Justin Barr

Jacob Clark

Anthony Fett

Bradley Goulet

Zac Granger

Kaito Hara

Taed Heydinger

Jackson Miller

Connor Regan

Jerry Reinhart

Bryant Shellenbarger

Conor Steinbaugh

Cameron Tilly

Tate Wargo

The University of Akron Athletics